"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
---John Wooden
Tonight I participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk. I did so as part of Team Holtzman, a team put together by my friend Mary, who was stricken with Leukemmia several years ago and is now a five year survivor. The weather was crisp and clear, and the timing of the start coincided perfectly with a gorgeous pink and purple sunset. In addition, there was a band playing festive music, with lots of familiar rock tunes, and several booths/tents with giveaways of food, stickers, and more.
The Walk was amazing. I had no idea what to expect, but headed up to Rockville with my youngest daughter to meet Mary and walk with her and her team. I arrived later than I had hoped and had a hard time finding parking, so by the time we got to the tent where we were supposed to meet Mary she and her team were no longer there. They and most of the crowd had already begun walking to the starting line.
I was shocked at how many people were there - Mary estimated it to be around a few thousand. Most people were holding red balloons with lights placed inside them, hence they were "lighting the night" as they walked together. There were teams from Elementary schools (leading me to think they were walking in honor or memory of a child), from corporations, from churches and other organizations, and many individuals walking with friends and family.
The walk, which seemed super-well organized, included a loop around Rockville Town Center. My daughter and I only ended up doing part of it, as we walked from the finish line towards the walkers in the hope of finding Mary. Sure enough, we spotted her, smiling as usual and excited about the event. Mary is the kind of person who always has a positive attitude. I don't see her often enough but always enjoy when I do. I was especially impressed to hear that she raised even more funds for the cause than she had pledged to. Actually this isn't surprising given her energy and enthusiasm about this cause and about life.
Walks like this one (and the MS one last weekend) leave me feeling sad because you inevitably see people who are suffering from a particular disease, or hear sad stories about people who died from it. But I also feel exhiliarated by the hundreds or in this case thousands of people who gathered to walk for awareness, for a cure, or for a celebration of life after facing and overcoming a very tough battle.
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